The Rildanor Associated Press (RAP) is the largest news agency in the country, owned and operated by a consortium of newspapers and media outlets who use its stories and reports on their programs and publications. The Labonne-based company is also the main media platform used by the government and various political movements, thereby making an organization of record whose information is authorized and guaranteed as being reliable, true, and neutral.

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Last edited by Pax on Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:39 am, edited 5 times in total.

The Queen's long battle with an unknown affliction, contracted from her trip to Noumonde, has ended. The Crown has passed to her son, Léopold, now known as Léopold II, Roi des Rildanoriens.

Queen Thérèse's sickness has long baffled Rildanorian doctors who have never dealt with the sudden weakening of the immune system that she has experienced. Her 3-year battle ended on 21 March 2740, after 31 years on the throne. She remains one of the countries longest serving monarchs. Léopold was crowned King of the Rildanorians by Pope Raphael I of the Orthodox Catholic Church in Sanctus City.

Léopold, King of the Rildanorians, has died of old age at his Labonne palace early today, 33 years after he first occupied the throne. The Royal Household Office states that the King was surrounded by family members, and has officially announced a week of official mourning.

Crown Prince Baudouin will now assume the throne as monarch and head of the royal family.

In a lavish ceremony befitting any monarch, King Hénri III married Princess Matilda of Hulstria, the only daughter of Emperor Alexander. Having proposed just months before the death of the late King Baudouin, Hénri had to postpone the wedding until after his coronation, which, by comparison, was much more low key. The wedding consisted of a televised ceremony at the Cathedral of the Saints in Labonne and presided over by the Orthodox Catholic Patriarch of Rildanor, who represented the ill Pope. Celebrations were sponsored by the Government everywhere in the country, including concerts, sporting events and competitions.

Among the attendees are the Emperor of Hulstria, King of Lourenne, and other members of the family from all three branches of the royal house. Matilda is not expected nor required to convert to the Orthodox Catholic faith, but the Palace states that it has been agreed that any children would be raised in the national religion so as to secure clear and legitimate heirs.

The new King was under great pressure to marry and produce an heir. Already in his forties, many worried that Hénri would never marry and that the Rildanor branch of the House of Orléans-Vasser would die out. In that event, the Crown would have passed to the current and young King of Lourenne, thus creating a dual monarchy that the two countries worked to prevent in the past.

After decades of political stagnation and disinterest, a major new party burst onto the scene. Le Parti du Travail (en: The Labour Party) won a plurality of seats, with 137 seats. In second place was l'Alliance Royaliste-Démocrate (en: Royalist-Democratic Alliance) with 120 seats; and in third was the Parti Radical et Radical-Socialiste (en: Radical and Radical-Socialist Party) with 103 seats.

The cabinet consisting of the Parti du Travail and the Parti Radical et Radical-Socialiste formed under Prémier Ministre Véronique Albani (PT) after the election of November 2821 broke down after a mere month in office when the PRRS decided to take up the offer of the Alliance Royaliste-Démocrate to form a cabinet with them. The PRRS lost one ministerial post in the process, their representation at the cabinet table reduced from six to five members, but they gained the office of Prémier Ministre, which apparently was the main reason for changing coalitions so swiftly.After the cabinet vote in the Sénat, the PT Secretaire général, M. Steingrímur Sigurðsson, spoke to the press:"The PRRS has deserted the newly formed progressive government of the centre-left for a token office. Rather than working with the Parti du Travail for the advancement of Rildanorian society in a cabinet that gave the PRRS fair representation and the offer of participation they have chosen to desert the progressive cabinet for a token office in a bourgeois coalition that is dominated by the Alliance Royaliste-Démocrate. Duc Jean Français Rayon d'Alouise is going to be Prémier Ministre in name only, in reality he is a puppet in the hands of the ARD. I can't help but admire the skills of the ARD leadership in throwing a veil over the eyes of the PRRS, selling them a reduction in influence as an increase in power."

Subsequently, M. Sigurðsson commended former Finance Minister Pacôme Keller for introducing an income taxation proposal that would mean the introduction of progressive taxation into the Rildanorien tax system:"M. Keller introduced a well-balanced proposal that gives some relief to the lowest taxed incomes, makes the wealty contribute according to their abilities and increases revenue considerably. Even if this proposal should fail in the Sénat, the flag of progressive taxation has been raised and will be flown by the PT at every available opportunity."

M. Sigurðsson also announced that the PT will support former Prémier Ministre Mme Albani in running for the office of Haut-Conseiller in the next election.

In a remarkable development in the relationship between two already close countries, both Rildanor and Kanjor ratified a federal union yesterday that effectively unites their kingdoms under one crown and government. The new union is named Canrille, a crude portmanteau of the two composite countries, and will be governed jointly by each legislature, known as the Imperial Parliament. Both Rildanor and Kanjor have now become provinces of Canrille, which have jurisdiction over domestic issues. All other foreign and military policies are determined by the Imperial Parliament.

Similarly, the crowns of Rildanor and Kanjor were united through Emperor François, son of King Baudouin III of Rildanor and Queen Nöelle of Kanjor. "It is a delightful day," said the new Emperor, "not for Rildanorians or Kanjorians, but for Canrillans, who all share the common French culture and an entangled history. I am committed to serving the people and representing the interests of Canrille both at home and abroad."

Celebrations are planned throughout the country and will coincide with a royal tour.

After a year of successive and transitional funding cuts, the education system is beginning to face its first full year after a 2.5 billion CRC budget cuts initiated by the Beaulin government last year in an effort to cut spending to reign in the deficit. Fearing salary, benefits and resource cutbacks the SSP (Syndicat du Secteur Public), which represents the vast majority of public school teachers throughout Rildanor, as well as most other public sector employees, called for a nationwide teacher strike and union wide protest.

« What we are demanding is that the government immediately restore full spending on education » said SSP spokesperson Natalie Arboneaux. « Teachers provide a vital service to Rildanor, and deserve a respectful salary and resources available to them in order to do their job. Until the government meets its obligations, we will be occupying the streets of this province. »

In a sign of solidarity with the public sector employees, the CGT (Confédération générale des travailleurs) announced that it would be joining members of the SSP on the streets protesting.

« The CGT stands for improving the conditions and lives of workers everywhere in Rildanor. If we allow one group to be stomped on, who is to say how far it would go? The labour movement and syndicalist movement must stand together in the streets across Rildanor. » rallied Joseph-Pierre Tandon, president of the CGT.

Since the declaration of province-wide protest, major demonstrations have been organized in Tiralle, Bezons, Saint-Antoine, Fontaine, Thallori, Croix, Gelle, Tenay-le-Cents, Cenlati, Saclay, Labonne, and Alkenne.

Party members of the Action Canrillaise of Rildanor are meeting in the party's first convention since the last election which saw the party make an electoral breakthrough, electing 47 members of the National Assembly and winning close to 80% of the national vote. For the next three days, the party will assemble in Tiralle to debate policy positions, solidify party framework and support and as leader Louis-César Parent stated in his opening address “revell in our success”.

The atomosphere of the packed Pierre Fournier Arena was electric as Parent, standing infront of his newly elected caucus, delivered the Leader's opening address. In the address, Parent called on his party to continue to work hard and to reflect on the core values of the party. “As social and liberal democrats, our party is rooted in our value of democracy, equality, sustainability and progress. And together, with a mandate to govern, we must return to these values to realize an open democracy that inspires social justice, freedom and movement.” Parent said, speaking to the roots of the party in the Parti Social Démocratique and Parti libéral-democrate movements.

The convention promises to be controversial as the party acts to reassert its support of Canrille in teh face of constitutional negotiations. “As Canrillistes, we came together in the face of a tired, nationalist government to voice our belief that together the Canrillais can achieve more than we can divided.” Rallied Parent to a vocal crowd. The party anticipates the constitutional debate would become a central issue to delegates, with a special policy commission headed by Justice minister Simon-Donat Perrault delving into the matter. In all, two hours of the general convention has been scheduled to discuss the constitutional policy matters, with a further 6 hours of closed convention barring the press and visitors also available for delegates.

Premier Ministre Claude Debussy has stated, in his address to all députés of the Assemblée nationale and to His Majesty, François-Napoléon, acting as Président of the said chamber, that as of November 3625, Rildanor is 11th in Terra in terms of GDP per capita. This is because of his government's low taxes introduction during the past years. Since the removal of the corporation tax, the country's investment percentage was raised to 14.80% (3rd in Terra) making a good investment hub. In the latest survey, the citizens were satisfied because of a registered high consumption percentage (73%, 4th in Terra) and a low tax percentage (47th in Terra).

In his farewell bid, he promised that the government will make sure that this progress will continue whether they are or they are not in power.